Seal-lock.



170.777,749. PATENTED DEG. 20. 1904. J. J. RUSSELL.

SEAL LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED DBG.27,1902.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE,

, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA,

OF PAKENHAM, NEW SOUTH VALES,

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,749,` dated December 20, 1904.

Application led December 27,

T0 LIZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL, assistant postmaster, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Milton, in the State of New South I/Vales and Commonwealth of Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks, specially applicable for strap-buck-les, as of mail-bags, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to a seal-lock which, though useful for all or most purposes where a seal or bar to unauthorized access is required, is specially applicable for strap-buckles, such as those used tol fasten mail-bags, for which purpose, indeed, it has been mainly devised, so as to insure there can be no'unrevealed tampering with the fastening, and consequentlyT the contents of such mail-bags.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood, reference will now be made to the drawings herewith, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seal-lock constructed according to this invention on the buckle of a strap, which may be a 'mail-bag fastening or a strap for other purposes.` Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same.

My invention resembles most seal-locks in having a securing' device of an ordinary or usual construction, which is herein shown as consisting of a belt and buckle, although it might be of various types, and with this ordinary securing device the seal-lock proper is designed to prevent release of the ordinary securing device without leaving a clear and evident indication of thefact. The seal-lock proper comprises a casing and cover adapted to prevent release of the ordinary or primary securing device when held in locked position. This is heldin locked position by a key or equivalent locking member which can be removed only after destroying the integrity of a seal member which may be cheaply replaced.

The ordinary or primary securing device with which I have herein shown my invention consists of a strap and buckle and the seal member of a disk or card of paper, cardboard,

1902. Serial No. 136,806.

or similar material. The strap 3 is secured in any suitable manner to the buckle, as by encircling the pin 5, upon which the tongue 7 is pivoted, and having its end secured to its body, as by sewing or riveting. The side bars 6 of the buckle are of specialA construction to conform to the requirements of the lock, said Special construction being hereinafter set forth.

At one end of the buckle, preferably the end containing the rest-bar 8, upon which the tongue 7 rests, a leaf or cover 10 is hinged and has on its outer or swinging end a tonguepiece 11 with slots 12 and 13 therethrough. This leaf or cover 10 has an oval or like orifice 14, and on its under face a keeper 15, pivoted at one side, as at 16, and having a mortisepiece or receiver 17 for the free or swinging end of the keeper at the other. The ends of this keeper and its pivot-piece and its receiver are preferably all adapted to fit in recesses 18 in the sides 6. This keeper 15 preferably has that edge which is presented toward the locking bolt or key (when the leaf or cover is closed or turned down) flanged, as shown at 19. Instead of this keeper 15 being pivotcd it might be hinged, and in this case the hinge and the receiver may be made to fit the recesses 18. Between the under face of the cover 1() and this keeper l5 a seal or ticket 20, of paper or cardboard or other cheap and destructible material easily cut or torn, may be placed while said cover is open. This forms the seal mem ber, the integrity of which indicates that the lock has not been opened. At the end of the casing opposite the hinge of the cover and between said sides 6 are divisional pieces or bars 21 and 23, having slots 22 and 24 therethrough, said bars, with the end `pieces 6 and bottom piece 6, forming a boX or socket 25 for the reception of the tonguepiece 11carried by the cover. This tongue-piece 11 when the leaf or cover 10 is closed over the buckle fits the socket 25, with its slot 12 and the slots 22 and 24 in alinement, so that one straight, though diagonally-set, passage is formed, which passage is also in alinement with the hole 14 in the in Fig. 1 the seal or cover. Into this diagonal passage a locking key or bolt Q6, having an orifice 28 and a spring offset or tongue 29, 1s adapted to be placed. Preferably the inner end of this key or bolt is sharpened, as at 27.

vIn use the strap end 9 `is drawn tightly up around the bag' or package and the tongue 7 inserted in one of the holes, as well understood. The buckle is now ready to be sealed, and when the cover 10 is in the position shown ticket 2O is placed under the keeper 15 and this closed into place. The seal or ticket may bear any printed or stamped matteras, say, the date-stamp of a despatching post-ofHce-on one or other of its faces or upon one of its faces and any other desired marks. of/ identilicationfas, say, the initials of the despatcheron the other face. The cover 10 is then closed upon the buckle frame or casing, the pivot-piece 16 and the receiver 17 fitting the recesses 18 in the side bars 6 and thetongue-pieee 11 fitting the socket 25. The locking key or bolt 26 is now inserted through the diagonal passage formed byslots 211, 12, and Q2 until the offset 29 catches behind bar 23, locking the whole, and this lock is scaled thus until the key or bolt 26 is drawn out again. Said key or bolt 26 is prevented from being drawn backwardly of its entry by the engagement of the offset 29 behind the bar Q3, which engagement is allowed by the slot 13 in the tongue-piece 11. 1t is prevented from moving forwardly without the application of some force by the resistance offered to its progress through slot 22 by said offset.y It cannot be drawn forwardly without the destruction or tearing of the ticket or seal 2O and is drawn forwardly when required by the entry of'a hook (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) into orifice 28, which hook tears or destroys said ticket or seal 20. Thisloeking key or bolt 26 may be drawn through the ticket 2O and the orifice 14 by means of said hook, and so releases the lock on the tongue-piece 11, holding down the cover 10. Of course when this cover 1() is raised the strap end 9 may be released from the tongue 7. The iiange 19 prevents the possibility of the locking key or bolt 26 being' pushed through underneath it and directs the knifeedge 27 into the ticket or seal 2O to destroy this latter on any attempt at such tampering.

It is easily to be seen that instead of protectingI the strap and buckle engagement this seal-lock might be used to protect other things from unauthorized access. For instance, it might be utilized to cover any keyhole or any spring lock or handle, and, for instance, the tongue-piece might be on the hinged cover of a box or on a door, so as to meet a slotted socket on the other part of the box or the framing. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting the application of my invention to buckles, but to claim it as a seal applied to any kind of securing means.

For further precaution, if thought desirable, the bolt or key 26 might have a tailpiece larger than the slot 24, so that it could not pass through unless such tail were removed, and this tail might bear distinguishing marks or directions.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, Ideclare that what I claim is 1. In a seal-lock, in combination, casing and cover members adapted when locked together to prevent release of the securing devices, said members having holes directed toward the bottom of the cover and adapted to permit the passage therethrough of a lockingbolt, a locking-bolt adapted to pass through said holes, means for preventing backward withdrawal of the bolt, a dcstructible seal and means for holding said seal in the path of said bolt to close one of the holes to thereby prevent forward withdrawal of the bolt except by destroying the integrity of the seal.

2. In a seal-lock, in combination, casing and cover members adapted when locked together to prevent release of the lock, said members having intermeshing parts provided with alined holes directed toward the bottom of the cover, a locking-bolt adapted to be inserted within said holes, means for preventing backward withdrawal of the said bolt, the cover having a hole permittingthe forward withdrawal of the bolt therethrough, a destructible seal and means for securing said seal to the inner side of the cover to close said hole.

3. A seal-lock comprising securing' members consisting of a strap and buckle, said buckle having an extension, a cover secured to the buckle and adapted when in closed position to prevent raising of the buckle-tongue, said cover and buckle extension having alined holes adapted to receive a bolt, a bolt therefor, means for preventing backward withdrawal of the bolt after insertion, a destructible seal and means for holding it in position to prevent forward withdrawal of the bolt except by destroying the integrity of the seal.

1. In a seal-lock, the combination of a casing having a hinged cover provided with a tongue, the casing having a cross-bar separated from the end bar thereof to provide a space for the reception of said tongue when the cover is closed, said two bars and. tongue having slots diagonally alined, and the cover having an orifice and means on the inside thereof for positively holding a seal in position to close said orifice, and a locking-bolt adapted to be introduced into the several slots, having an offset to engage against the inner surface of said end bar.

IOS

5. In a seal-look the combination With sides 6 and hinged Cover 10 having orifice 14 of tongue-piece l1 having slots 12 and 13 and a socket 25 Whosev Walls 21 and 23 have slots 22 and 24 and tag-piece 26 having knife-edge 27 orifice 28 and offset or tongue 29 substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the drawings.

In testimony Whereofl have signed my name to this specllication 1n the presence or two suh- IO soribing Witnesses.

JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

PERCY N EWELL, M. J. CANDRIOK. 

